SWAN at the Batik Workshop

SWAN at the Batik Workshop

Kasia of SWAN describes a recent SWAN activity:

“A few Saturdays ago some of us took part in a Batik workshop led by Amy from Autistic Initiatives. Batik is an art using wax painted on silk and then dyes used to paint a picture. We had 3 hours to accomplish our task and I felt very unsure if I would be able to figure out what to draw on my 2 canvases. It ended up as an interesting experience.

“It reminded me that I cannot always do things perfectly especially if I am learning something new. I also was reminded to enjoy the experience for what it was. It was a good time with people who wanted to do something together with me. Maybe next time I’ll meet you there too.

“These paintings were not finished on the day. Amy took our batiks away to remove the wax and join all the paintings made that day into one big one. One of mine tells my story about being torn between spaces and people I love and the other is about things that make me feel connected, feeling part of something bigger.

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I’m sharing this not just because I believe in her words, but because I want to show you all a glorious example of a an amazing and powerful young autistic woman.

All too often an autism diagnosis can come with a doom and gloom narrative, one that instantly limits people’s ideas of what the person who received the diagnosis could be capable of. Not only that, but the words “special interest” can have such negative associations to them, but if you watch this video without those inbuilt assumptions of what autism is or isn’t, then what you will see is an amazingly PASSIONATE young person, whose passion has driven them further already than many adults. NOT someone that is flawed due to “restricted interests”.

Enjoy and promote your/your child’s autistic passions, and you never know where they might lead!

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A response to the recent article in the Conversation, suggesting the results of an online survey support the Extreme Male Brain (EMB) theory of autism. This articles considers the cultural implications for autistic women who will face yet another hurdle to accessing diagnosis and suitable help.